Calvin Synod Herald, 1981 (81. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1981-01-01 / 1-2. szám
6 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD CHARLES SZABÓ AWARDED GRANT Charles Szabó, Western European Bibliographer at Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin, has been awarded a three-year grant of $113,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to continue a bibliography project begun in 1977 with funds from the Graduate School Research Committee. The project, “British and American Humanistic Studies: Articles in Festschiften: 1800-1980/’ will provide comprehensive access to the general area of the humanities in Festschriften, except for specialized subdivisions of this broad area. Mr. Szabó intends to analyze the more than 10,000 Festschriften (commemorative volumes) in the humanities published in North America and the United Kingdom from the first occurrence of such a work in the 19th century to the end of 1980. The specific areas in the humanities that he will be covering are: 1. language and literature, 2. history, 3. philosophy, 4. logic, 5. religion and theology, 6. the Classics, and 7. the fine arts. With the assistance of computer technology, he will generate a tape of the bibliography which will be suitable for photocomposition and printing. In sum, the printed bibliography will consist of two sections: the first will be the Festschriften catalogue which will provide an alphabetic listing of the volume by person, place or event commemorated, with a full bibliographic citation of the volume and a complete listing of the table of contents followed by holding libraries; the second will be the analytical index. This significant work cannot be completed without applying computer techniques. And there was a fortunate coincidence that Jim Brewer, during the time when he was the bibliographical searcher for Mr. Szabó and acquiring experience with the project, was also studying advanced computer courses and could work on the organizational aspects of the computer techniques to be used in the project. For the present, he is the computer programmer for the project. The co-director of the project is Christopher Kleinhenz, professor in the Department of French and Italian. I am delighted that Mr. Szabó has been awarded this NEH grant. It will provide the funds for all the computer equipment and supplies necessary for such a complex and extensive bibliography, besides providing travel allowances to examine materials firsthand in American and British libraries and monies to pay wages of student helpers and computer programmers. As part of the necessary equipment, approximately $8,000 worth of computers will remain with Memorial Library — we, too, benefit directly from the grant! I am confident that these funds vail enable Mr. Szabó to proceed rapidly toward the goal of producing the bibliography and that the work will be an BETHLEN ARCHIVE FUND The Standing Committee for the Preservation of the Historical Material Related to the Hungarian Reformed People in America announced the establishment of THE ARCHIVE FUND OF THE BETHLEN PIOME. Some time ago the Hungarian Reformed church bodies in America — the Calvin Synod, the Hungarian Reformed Church in America, the Presbyterian Conference — together with the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, the Bethlen Home, and the American Hungarian Foundation named a Task Force to explore the possibilities of saving the tremendous historical material relating to the life of the churches and other organizations of Hungarian Reformed people in America. The initial purpose was to secure the safekeeping of the material deposited with the Bethlen Home in Ligonier; but also important was making this material available for scholarly research. Last September the Task Force was organized into a Standing Committee to set up and permanently further this project, as well as to extend its scope to all available material still held by the churches and various organizations. The first step of the project will be to systematize, catalogize, and microfilm the material now held in the Bethlen Home. Later plans include securing new deposits and/or microfilming material which the churches and organizations wish to keep. The ARCHIVE FUND will finance this venture. It will be substantially aided by the Hungarian Reformed Federation but all Reformed people in America are invited and urged to generously support it. Contributions should be given to the individual churches earmarked for THE ARCHIVE FUND of the Bethlen Home. The churches (or organizations) will forward the donations to the Fund. Donations, of course, can also be sent directly to THE ARCHIVE FUND, Bethlen Home, P. O. Box 657, Ligonier, PA 15658. The Hungarian Reformed people in America are proud of their heritage. Heritage, however, is only of worth if it is transmitted to and its consciousness is kept up by subsequent generations, thus becoming an enrichment of American life. To do so is not to be looked upon as a sacrifice but as a joyful duty. Let us all support this venture and THE ARCHIVE FUND OF THE BETHLEN HOME! invaluable tool for all persons engaged in research in the humanities. I congratulate him on receiving the grant and look foiward to the completion of this worthy task in 1983. Joseph H. Treyz
